Ending and Beginning
by anonyreaderfan
Summary: Roger has been rescued by Stephen and John. Why this story? Because its fan fiction and I can. Where did it come from? My overactive imagination. Will it ever be canon? Highly doubtful. Will you enjoy it? Aaaahhh .. . iffy.
1. Ending

Disclaimer: The Tomorrow People is the property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

~ X ~

"**_Italics with quotes"_** indicates telepathic speech

**_Italics without quotes_** indicates thoughts

~ X ~

John braced himself against the cold cement wall of the subway station, one leg on the ground, the other bent at the knee with his foot flat against the wall. His arms were crossed more in a defensive hug than a defiant gesture.

He watched the joyful family reunion uneasily, aware that many around him resented his presence. They clustered together, Roger and Stephen backslapping and hugging. Marla wept with joy unable to let go of her husband for even a moment, as if fearful of losing him again. Luca, dazed and overjoyed at the same time, not really comprehending that the man he barely remembered as his father was back. Stephen beamed from ear to ear while Astrid watched fondly, vicariously savoring his enjoyment.

The Tomorrow People were excited and disconcerted at the same time. They had trouble accepting this rollercoaster of lows and highs. Their long promised savior at first exposed as a dead man and now in a strange turn of events resurrected. Their shadowy messiah, the promised one who would lead them to the land of safety, was suddenly standing in front of them. They were hopeful, but afraid to trust it was real.

Cara beamed, relieved by the presence of Roger. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Here was someone that could assume the burden of leadership. Her gaze slid over to John and a frown darkened her face.

She strode over to accost him. "You have no right to be here."

Others in the vicinity heard her and the muttering began, rising in tempo as they worked each other up. Several balled their fists ready to take him on. John unfolded his arms and shifted his stance to stand erect ready to fight or flee, whatever the situation required.

Stephen, noticing what was going on, quickly intervened using his body as a shield between John and Cara and her angry followers.

"What are you doing? I couldn't have brought my father back without John. You should be thanking him . . I know I am."

"You wouldn't have had to bring him back if John hadn't killed him!" Cara accused. John winced, but Stephen pleaded on his behalf. "Dad . .tell them. Tell them I couldn't have done it without him."

Marla put a hand to Roger's cheek turning it towards her. A silent communication took place between them. A nod and a kiss to her palm and Roger turned to everyone, holding his hands up to catch their attention. He cleared his throat. "There's something I need to say. It's time to reveal the truth. Don't blame John. It wasn't an accident that he shot me. I could have escaped if I wanted to. I set John up."

John felt all the air in his body leave him, like he had been punched in the stomach. He was falling down a long dark cold tunnel, and words had a hard time reaching his ears as if they were somehow whipped away by the wind.

"I . . needed . . .someone . . . who . . would . . shoot . . once . . and . . . hit . . . me . . . straight . . . in . . . the . . heart . . . so . . . I. . . could. . . freeze. . . time. It. . . gave. . . me. . . the. . . time. . . to. . . make. . . him. . . promise. . . to. . . protect. . . you . .the . . . Tomorrow. . . People. . . and. . . my . . . son. He. . . was . . . the. . . only. . . one. . . who. . . could. . . do. . . it. . . so. . . I. . . planted. . . the. . . idea, . . . pulling. . . in . . . Jedikiah. . . and. . . the. . . Founder . . . making . . . them . . . think . . . it . . . was . . . their . . . "

John knew that Jack was still talking, still explaining, but he could no longer hear anything over the roaring in his ears.

_All that pain!_

**_I set John up!_**

_All those years of guilt!_

**_I set John up!_**

_The agony of knowing I killed my friend!_

**_I set John up!_**

_All the lying I had to do, hating every moment._

**_I set John up!_**

_Having to live with myself, loathing what I had done. Feeling my soul shrivel._

**_I set John up!_**

_All for nothing. All because he couldn't trust me._

The stricken look on John's face finally penetrated into Roger's consciousness, making him stop.

"No . . no way . . . Dad . . . how . . . no . . say it's not . . . " Stephen's horrified protests trickled away as he saw the look on his father's and mother's faces.

"It was the only way, Stephen," his father insisted. "I had to be sure our people were protected. I had to make sure you would survive."

"It was the only way, Stephen." Marla defended her husband. "We've all suffered . . all done our part. This was John's part."

John backed away slowly from the wall while Roger followed him. People parted before the duo, as if it was a dance they didn't want to interrupt. "I had to do it, John. It was the only way to escape the Founder. I needed your promise that you would protect these people . . . that you would protect my son. I couldn't let you know. You could never have kept it from them. You were never strong enough to resist them. I needed to shock you into running."

He saw faces slide by him in slow motion, every expression, every nuance visible. Cara, hand fisted in her mouth, as if holding back a scream. Astrid looking like she could easily murder someone. A horrified Mike. Stephen, face white with shock, changing to disbelief and then shame. Russell's face screwed up like he might be sick. Luca so confused, looking from parent to parent, not comprehending what was happening here. Irene peering at him through her thick glasses. The stunned faces of people he had known for years, most of whom he had helped rescue. And finally Charlotte, the only one not surprised, her time at the Citadel leaving her cynical beyond her years.

He focused on the hand Roger reached out to him. "John, please try to understand."

"John, I didn't know. I swear I didn't know." Stephen closed his eyes, shaking his head.

_His friend, the one at Ultra who never lied to him. The one who warned him . . . be careful who you share your secrets with. The one who comforted him . . . It's always darkest before you turn the lights on._

_The lights would never turn on now. Not for him._

Marla, put her hand on Roger's arm, stopping him from moving closer to John. She spread her hands, arms wide and low, in the age old gesture that promised 'I will not hurt you'. She spoke low and soothing as if addressing a frightened child. "It's okay, John. It's over."

They approached him together, hand in hand, and still John backed away.

_Betrayed, lied to by the only one he thought would never lie to him. _

Hot scalding tears slipped down his cheeks now, and he didn't care.

"Please, John," Roger begged. "I'll make it up to you. Stay and let me talk to . . . "

John turned, stepped, and was gone.

Cara tried to reach his mind. _"Please, John. Let us make it up to you."_


	2. Beginning

He loosened his tie with one hand, while he jiggled the keys in the door with the other. Once the knob turned, he used a foot to open the door and then the same foot to kick back and close it, while the hand that loosened the tie found the light switch and flipped it on.

He froze at the sight of a figure slumped forward, elbows resting on knees, bowed head staring at his clasped hands. He recognized the dirty blonde hair. As his eyes darted between the bowed head and a pistol openly displayed on a nearby table, his hand slipped up and inside his suit jacket.

John pushed himself up, slumping back in the chair. Jedikiah took in the red rimmed eyes, the dried salt, shiny tear tracks on his cheek, and the misery on his face.

John aimlessly picked at the fabric of the chair arm with one hand while using another to shade his face. Without meeting Jedikiah's eyes he murmured, "I wanna come home."

A triumphant smile replaced the tense expression on Jedikiah's face, and his hand slid back down to his side. "Bout time," was the gruff response.

Jedikiah leisurely strolled into his bedroom, and when he came out the suit jacket was gone. He hadn't unstrapped the shoulder holster and gun he normally wore, but he was unbuttoning and rolling up the sleeves of his white dress shirt.

He headed to the credenza and reached down to pull out a bottle of whiskey and two highball glasses. He snuck a sideways glance over at John while he poured out two full glasses. Leisurely recapping the bottle, he picked up the two glasses and moved to stand over his uninvited guest.

When his presence wasn't acknowledged, Jedikiah prodded one black combat boot with his shoe. John started, dropping the hand shading his face, revealing a stony expression. It was only when his eyes met his mentor's that the anguish and mute appeal for help in them made Jedikiah wish he was dealing with a much younger John. That he could just take him in his arms and comfort him, assuring him he would take care of it and everything would be okay.

He pushed a glass into John's unresisting hand and raised the one in his in a silent salute. "Welcome home, son."


	3. Epilogue

Jedikiah drove a half hour out of the city and parked inside the trash strewn first floor of an abandoned warehouse. It had always been the rendezvous point, and no more than ten minutes passed before he was rewarded with a flash.

He turned sideways in his seat. "Roger. Figured you had to be back."

"Jed."

The two men warmly clasped hands. "Ten years and you look no different."

"Jed, things got out of hand. Do you know where Joh . ."

"Passed out at my apartment. I had to put him to bed. He's not doing so good. I think he's in shock."

"He didn't take the truth well."

"No." Jedikiah shook his head. "He didn't take it well at all."

"It was necessary, Jed. We had to do it. It was the only way. We wouldn't have done this to him if there was any other way. We could count on him to shoot once and shoot straight. If there had been multiple bullets . . well . . and we couldn't tell him the truth. He could never keep that back from the Founder."

Jedikiah, listening to his brother's troubled tones, asked, "Who are you trying to convince here?"

A harsh laugh and his brother reiterated, "It was war. It is war. Sacrifices have to be made."

Jedikiah nodded slowly. "A lot of people have died to keep up the pretense, to make our story stick. And I've either killed them myself or ordered their deaths. But tell me Roger, how do I break it to him that I was part of this? That I helped set him up. That I convinced the Founder that he needed to kill you to prove his loyalty. That I betrayed him too?"

His brother stared straight ahead. "You don't. At least for now no one can know that we planned this together. Even Marla thinks you're the enemy. It's safest that way. We have to see this through. There's too many lives depending on us."

Roger hesitated and then offered, "When the time comes we'll get Stephen to talk to him. They've bonded." He laughed humorlessly. "I've got work to do there. He's really upset with me. Can't understand how I could do this to John and that Cara! She can't even stand to look at me, and when she does . . .well it's a good thing our kind can't kill. But I think she'll do anything in her power to help John."

Jedikiah nodded slowly. He was quiet for a moment before adding, "I always warned John there were consequences to living in the world with these dark warped individuals." He exchanged a long look with his brother. "What I didn't tell him was that we were some of those individuals."

"He's a casualty. One of the walking wounded. But he is walking. Remember as long as he's not dead we still have a chance to make this right. When this is finally over we can reach him . . we can explain. He'll see we had to do it," Roger spoke forcefully. "I have to get back now. We've moved everybody out of the station. You can let John lead the troops there tomorrow to show his loyalty."

Jedikiah nodded, staring straight ahead.

Roger fumbled for words, feeling like he hadn't said enough. He wanted to offer his brother something, something to make this not seem so bad. "He's a good kid, Jed. He had a hard life and he didn't deserve this, but he was the perfect one for what needed to be done. The last thing on earth I wanted was to hurt him."

Jedikiah turned to his brother once more, his brow furrowed. The glistening in his eyes might have been from the street light angling in through a broken window in the old building. "I wanted to save that kid, and instead I think I destroyed him. I'll lose him for good this time, won't I?"

Roger sighed and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, squeezing it bracingly. "We still have a long way to go." A flash and he was gone.

Jedikiah sat for another fifteen minutes staring unseeing out into the night before he finally started the car for the drive home.

Tomorrow was one more day of pretense in a long line of days that measured in the thousands. He had to restore John back into the Founder's good graces and then pray that when the truth finally came out John would forgive him. His surrogate father . . . the biggest betrayer of all.

~ FIN ~


End file.
